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News Release
The Florida Aquarium Sets Attendance Record
Nearly 925,000 guests visited the Aquarium in 2022
The Florida Aquarium welcomed nearly 925,000 guests last year, making 2022 the highest attendance in its 27-year history. The record-setting number comes as The Florida Aquarium invested millions in new exhibits and launched exciting guest experiences.
“A sincere thank you goes to our community, tourists and members for supporting The Florida Aquarium — without you what we do would not be possible,” said Roger Germann, Aquarium president and CEO. “The Florida Aquarium plays an important role in conservation – from saving Florida’s sea turtles to restoring coral reefs – to providing unique and engaging animal-centric experiences that a world-class region like Tampa Bay deserves.”
In 2022, The Florida Aquarium unveiled a refreshed Shorelines Gallery and launched SeaTrek, a widely accessible guided underwater walking tour. In addition, The Tampa General Hospital Animal Health Care Center opened, bringing a behind-the-scenes look at animal medical treatments, education and inspiration to guests.
Other enhancements in 2022 included the introduction of Raptors, a birds of prey exhibition; elevated guest experience in partnership with a new food partner; as well as improvements to traditional family favorites like Snow Days. With the holiday events, more people visited in December than The Florida Aquarium’s inaugural year in 1995.
“Tampa Bay has continuously seen record-breaking tourism revenue and occupancy numbers throughout the entirety of 2022,” added Santiago C. Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. “The outstanding attendance The Florida Aquarium saw is just a testament to the hard work and dedication our community stakeholders and partners put in every day to push our economy forward.”
“The Florida Aquarium ranks as one of the best in North America and consistently helps drive Tampa Bay’s economy, educates schoolchildren from across the state, and supports local community programs,” noted Germann. “As we continue to grow with historic investments, we look forward to welcoming even more guests in the coming years.”
The Florida Aquarium is working on a $40 million expansion, to add sea lions, puffins and more. To see more of The Florida Aquarium’s achievements and memories from 2022, watch our year in review video.
ABOUT THE FLORIDA AQUARIUM
The Florida Aquarium actively participates in and promotes stewardship of the natural environment as part of our mission of conservation. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, The Florida Aquarium provides an opportunity to see over 8,000 aquatic and terrestrial animals, explore complex ecosystems, look for wild dolphins in Tampa Bay, play at the Splash Pad and more! Ranked #3 Aquarium in North America in a recent USA TODAY’S 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, the aquarium is more than a must-see attraction, The Florida Aquarium is working to protect and restore our blue planet on many conservation fronts, including research and rescue efforts that help restore Florida’s sea turtle and coral populations and to ensure that sharks continue to swim our seas. In August of 2019, The Florida Aquarium, in partnership with Project Coral, became the first to successfully spawn critically endangered pillar coral in a laboratory. To learn more, follow us on social media at @floridaaquarium and visit www.flaquarium.org.
